St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-22
Minneapolis Prepared to Offer Choice
of Two Sites to the State
Commission.
One Is Located on a Lovely Peninsula
Within Sound Of Minne-
haha Falls,
And the Other Is Beautiful Grove on
Gideon's Bay, Overlooking Lake
klinnet0nka.
The Commission to Reach Here To- Day
and Inspect the Sites--C0mmit-
tees at Work.

The citizens of Minneapolis woke up
yesterday on the soldiers home ques-
ton. Although there has been more or
less talk among the G. A. r. veterans
concerning the desirability of having
the home located at Minneapolis, there
has been no energetic action on their
part. Members of the Real Estate ex-
change and other citizens some two
weeks ago decided to offer site to the
state for the location of the home on
Gideon's bay, Minnetonka lake. at a
point midway between Excelsior and
Lake Park. The spot is a beautiful
one, with commanding view and grove
of fine trees, and the donation will in
clude fifty or sixty acres. The senti-
ment of the Grand Army men and the
citizens, perhaps generally, has been
that the home should be located near
Minnehaha falls. There is peninsula
formed by Minnehaha creek and the
river which seems to have been de-
signed by nature for such an institu-
ton. The location is midway between
the two cities, and can be included in
the park system of both. Its proximity
to Minnehaha falls and Fort Smelling is
another advantage, while the beauty of
the scenery is perhaps unsurpassed in
1NOl OllMOObs II lCluobi Va q VI tttO VI
forty or fly acres was secured some
time ago, and the action of the chamber
of commerce of st. Paul, Tuesday night,
virtually commencing this site, has
sealed the determination to secure it
and offer it to the state. The offer of
the MinnetOnka site makes it incumbent
that the tract at Minnehaha should be
purchased and presented to the state,
and yesterday determined move was
made to raise the necessary funds for the
purchase. The idea is that the city
should give $4,000 and that an equal
sum should be raised by subscription.
The soldiers home commission, which
is now on tour of inspection, is eX-'
pected to arrive from Red Wing to-
night, and will inspect the sites Mime
neapOliS has to offer tomorrow. Yes
terday Maj. Henderson, Capt. Babb and
others, who are at the head of the move
ment, called upon Mayor Ames, who
has so actively urged and agitated the
establishment of state soldiers home,
and at their request he addressed the
following letter to the commission:
Hon. H. A. Castle, Chairman Soldiers
Home Commission: Dear Sir-On behalf of
the. people of the city of Minneapolis offer
as a site for the proposed Minnesota soldiers
home a tract of fifty acres of land in the city
of Minneapolis situated on the west bank of
the Mississippi river, near Minnehaha Falls,
and valued at $50 900. If the proposition is
accepted / feel authorized in stating that
said grounds will be connected with the
present park systems of Minneapolis and st.
Paul in such a manner as to make it the
most attractive and beautiful spot in the
state. Very respectfully
A. A. AMEs Mayor. .
The mayor also decided to call a MEET
ing of the. council for Thursday AFTER
noon to take such action as will be-
necessary in behalf of the city.
The board of trade, met in the after
noon and took steps to aid in the move
ment by raising private subscriptions.
w. E. Steele, DIR. Hance, A. J. Board
man, A. j. Blethen and Capt. E. c. Babb
were appointed as a committee to SUI
licit subscriptions, and the meeting Sc
cured the following amounts: DR..
Hance, $1,000; w. S. King, $500; Judge
Atwater, $500; A. J. Boardman, 81 1000;
Haywood Il Boshart, 81 600; A. J.
joint meeting of members of the
board and the G. A. r. executive COM.
mittee was held, at which Judge Reas
presided, for the purpose of entertain
ing the members of the commission dur.
ing their stay in the city, and the follow
ing reception committee was appointed:
E. G. Babb, w. d. Hale, A. j. Board
man, l. c. Seeley, G. W. Johnson, A. j.
Blethen, S. F. Hance, w. S. King, Yer
dine Truesdell. This committee is to
meet at 80 this morning at the board
of trade rooms in the Lumber exchange.
and decide upon the programme of
entertainment, which will probable
include visit to the Minnehaha
site in the morning and to Lake Mime
tonka in the afternoon, with dinner at
the Hotel Lafayette, and perhaps BAN
quet at the, West hotel in the evening.
1t is the intention, also, to invite the
members of the st. Paul chamber of
commerce committee to be present and
make the visits of inspection with the
commission.
To-day the canvass for subscriptions
will be theoretically pushed, and there
will be little difficulty, it is appre-
hended, in securing whatever is
needed, as no public project has
awakened such general enthusiasm
as a movement to establish a home;
both as a monument, testifiying to the
gratitude felt towards those who sacri-
feed themselver for their country, and
as a place where the old and helpless
heroes of the war can pass their de-
Ginning days with comfort, not as bur
dens upon the state but as charges of a:
grateful people.